The Alternative Story
by animefreak78990
Summary: I rewriting the whole story from beginning to end. Chizuru can kick butt, Kouru is with her, and they both are taken in by the shinsengumi. What will happen to the twins? Rated T for blood and swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello,**

**this is my fifth fanfic. Please review and tell me if I made any mistakes**

**animefreak78990**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"BLOOD," the silver haired man screamed as he lunged at the twins. Kaoru pushed Chizuru to the side before dodging the attack himself. Chizuru unsheathed her short sword and stabbed the man in the heart.

"Pitiful creature, rest in peace," Chizuru murmured as she removed her blade from the man's chest. Kaoru squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to comfort his younger sister. They turned and found swords pointing at each of their throats.

"Don't try to run, or I'll kill you," a man with black hair and purple eyes said, digging his sword point closer to Chizuru's throat.

"Hey Hijikata, can't we just kill them now?" a man with his brown hair tied up and brown eyes asked. Hijikata glared at the man and turned back to Chizuru. Poor Chizuru, who was confused by the whole situation asked, "Is it common for people in this town to try to kill visitors? First it was the man with the silver hair, now it's you guys- hey; you're wearing the same uniform as the guy with silver hair!"

"Your right, are you on the same side as that monstrous creature?" Kaoru asked as he fingered his long sword. The brown haired man saw this and prepared to strike.

"Hold on Soji, we can't just kill them if they don't know what's going on," Hijikata said. Soji made an annoyed sound and stopped his blade right before it could connect with Kauru's neck. Hijikata turned to Chizuru and Kaoru and said, "You two follow us so that we can talk in a more… private manner. Remember, if you try to run, we'll kill you immediately."

Kaoru looked like he was about to argue, but Chizuru tapped his arm and shook her head. Kaoru sighed and said, "Fine, lead on."

The four of them walked in silence to the Shinsengumi head quarters. They walked in the front gates and Chizuru gripped her brother's arm tightly. Kaoru's eyes darted around the temple like a wild beast being hunted. They entered a large room where six other men sat, still eating dinner despite the lateness of the night.

"Oh, who are these two?" a big, brunet man asked.

"That is not our concern Harada. Our concern is that these two saw the rouge soldiers and killed one of them off," Hijikata said. A shaggy haired boy bounced in front of Chizuru, who flinched. Kaoru stepped in front of Chizuru protectively and hissed menacingly at the boy.

"Whoa, take it easy. I'm not going to hurt your sister," the boy said, holding his hands up in front of his face.

"Heisuke, come over here," an older man said. The boy bounced back over to the older man's side and peered at Kouru.

"Forgive our rudeness. My name is Kondo; I'm head of the Shinsengumi. These are Toshi- I mean Hijikata, Okita, Sannan- san, Shinpachi, Harada, Heisuke, and Saito. It seems you encountered some of the ratsu tonight-," the older man, but Hijikata cut him off.

"Kondo-san, why are you giving them this information?" Hijikata asked.

"Please don't kill us!" Chizuru suddenly blurted out, "We still have someone very important we have to find."

"First off, who are you two? Second, who is this important person?" Kondo asked. Chizuru and Kaoru looked at each other for a moment before Chizuru said, "My name is Yukimaru Chizuru, this is my brother Yukimaru Kaoru. We're looking for our father."

There was a long, drawn out silence before Kondo asked, "Could your father possibly be Yukimaru Kodo?"

Chizuru's head snapped up and she nodded vigorously.

"Please, do you know where he is?" Kaoru asked. Hijikata and Kondo exchanged glances before Hijikata asked, "How much do you know?"

Chizuru and Kaoru flinched at his tone and Chizuru asked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, how much do you know?" Hijikata asked.

"Where… is… our… father?" Kaoru hissed.

"So you don't know that Kodo went missing?" Kondo asked.

"He went missing?" Chizuru exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth.

"About a month ago, the clinic your father was working at caught fire. Kodo vanished without so a trace. We've been searching for him ourselves, but haven't had much luck," Kondo said the pondered an idea for a minute or so, "Why don't you two stay here. We could help you find your father and house you for a while."

Chizuru's eyes lit up, but Kaoru stared at them suspiciously and asked, "How do we know we can trust you?"

Kondo smiled at him with a mischievous look in his eye and said, "It's better if you didn't. It'll keep you alive longer. But there still one problem. Chizuru, I know this is a lot for us to ask, but can you disguise yourself as a boy. Girls aren't allowed here and if anyone caught news that we were housing a girl… well, let's just say things might get out of hand."

Chizuru blinked, but nodded and turned to Kaoru with an expectant look in her eyes. Kaoru sighed and brought out an extra robe from his bag, and handed it to Chizuru. Harada pointed to a spare room next to the room they were in. Chizuru bowed and leapt gracefully into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Kouru stood in front of the door like some sort of body guard and glared at the men.

"How old are you and your sister?" Kondo asked.

"We're fifteen, but I'm a few minutes older than Chizuru," Kaoru said.

"You two look so much alike, let me guess, you're a girl wearing boy clothing," Shinpachi crowed. Kaoru threw him a dirty look before twisting his neck, causing it to crack loudly.

"Where did you two come from?" Hijikata asked.

"Edo," Kaoru answered. The door behind him slid open reveling a split image of Kaoru. Chizuru wore a pink and brown kimono with her hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She smiled gently at her brother and shoved her old clothing in her bag.

"I'll show you to your room," Saito said. Chizuru and Kouru followed him to a large room with two futons, a divider, and a small round window.

"All your meals will be brought to you. You are not to leave your room unless one of the commanding officers or I give you permission," Saito said before leaving.

"Great, so we're prisoners here," Kaoru said with a sigh. Chizuru got up and flexed her arms.

"Hey Kouru, let's spar!" Chizuru suggested. Kaoru smiled at his sister's gusto and got out his long sword. They moved the divider and futons to the side before getting in their positions.

"Ready…START!" Chizuru shouted. They lunged at each other, their blades making a loud clinking noise signaling the game had begun.

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><p><strong>So that's it for chapter 1<strong>

**I'll write more when I have time but I must warn you that it might not be for a while because of school work T.T**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two is finally done!**

**Please read, review, and most importantly, ENJOY!**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

The clang of metal echoed down the hall and all the Shinsengumi perked up and rushed to the room where Kaoru and Chizuru were staying. They flung open the door and stared in shock at the sparring match taking place in front of them. The twins were moving so fast that you could only catch a flash of color here and there. Hijikata leaped forward and grabbed Chizuru by the scruff.

"If you wanted to have separate rooms you should have told us. There is no reason to fight each other," Hijikata said sternly. To everyone's utter shock (except for Kaoru) Chizuru laughed and said, "It was just a sparring match to entertain ourselves. We're not really fighting each other."

"That looked pretty real to me," Heisuke said.

"Please, if we wanted to kill each other we would be fighting at full strength. This was only about half our full power," Kaoru said with a snort. Kondo and Hijikata exchanged glances before Hijikata grabbed Chizuru by the arm and started to drag her outside.

"What the hell are you doing with my sister?" Kaoru asked and took a step forward, only to be stopped by an eager Soji.

"Don't worry, I'm only testing her," Hijikata said. He pushed her gently to the other side of the small courtyard outside the twin's room and unsheathed his sword.

"Come at me at full power," he commanded. Chizuru's brow furrowed and she said, "But I would hurt you."

Shinpachi snorted and said, "I bet you couldn't even leave a scratch on our Oni leader."

Chizuru sighed, but unsheathed her sword and said, "I guess I at least tried to warn you. If he gets hurt, don't blame me."

There was a moment of silence, and then Chizuru seemed to disappear from sight. Kaoru leaned against the door frame and said, "It'll be over in 3… 2… 1…"

There was a loud clang and Kaoru's jaw dropped in shock as he realized that Hijikata had actually blocked Chizuru's attack. Chizuru looked just as shocked, then pouted and yelled, "No helping Kaoru."

Chizuru's brother rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and Chizuru vanished from sight again. There were several clangs and Hijikata looked as if he were fighting an invisible enemy off. Chizuru suddenly tripped and landed head first into the pond next to the courtyard. Hijikata was about to jump in to help her, but Chizuru burst out of the water, landed gracefully back on dry land, and then shook out her hair like a wet dog. Hijikata lurched back as he got hit from the spray and growled warningly. Chizuru held out her sword again, but she was soaking wet and shivering.

"We will postpone this battle for another time," Hijikata said. Chizuru frowned and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, let's continue… ACHOO," Chizuru said, but sneezed loudly and rubbed her arms to try to get some warmth back in her body. Kaoru sighed and said, "Chizuru, you didn't lose so let's get you and your clothes dried off."

Chizuru pouted, but went back into the room with her brother, excused herself politely, and shut the door behind her. The Shinsengumi stared at the door for a while before Hijikata broke the silence.

"They would be powerful new recruits if they can both fight as well as she did," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Was she really that strong?" Okita asked.

"I hate to say this, but if the fight would've continued, I would have lost," Hijikata said, shaking his head in amazement. Heisuke and Shinpachi blanched in shock. Their fearless Oni leader had almost been beaten by a girl who was three heads shorter. The door slid open again and Chizuru came back out with her brother and bowed.

"Thank you for that match, it was really fun," Chizuru said.

"Whose better, you or Kaoru?" Okita asked excitedly.

"Soji! Please forgive his rudeness," Kondo said with a bow. Chizuru laughed and looked at her brother.

"Hmm, I don't know. I won the last match, but Chizuru won the one before that," Kaoru said thoughtfully, then snapped his fingures and said, "Okay, let's decide this here and now."

Chizuru grinned, then paused and turned to Hijikata.

"With your permission, of course," she said with a bow.

"Just don't kill each other," Hijikata sighed. Everyone took a seat on the grass as the twins took their position opposite one another.

"Ready… Start!" Kondo shouted. The twins disappeared and the sound of metal meeting metal echoed once again around the court yard.

"Can you see them?" Heisuke asked as he tried to make out the flashes of movement.

"Only when their swords meet. They pause for a second before disappearing again," Hijikata said. Everyone focused and eventually could see what Hijikata was talking about.

"By the Gods they're fast," Kondo said.

"And I have a feeling that their still holding back," Hijikata said.

"WHAT?" Shinpachi shouted. Hijikata narrowed his eyes and said, "During my sparing match with Chizuru, I could almost feel her holding her full power back. I haven't the slightest idea why, but it's safe to say that we can't just let these two slip though our fingures."

Suddenly there was a loud thud and they turned and found Chizuru sitting on her rear end. A large, red welt began forming on her arm and Kaoru said, "I win."

Chizuru sighed and stood up. She bowed respectfully to her brother before poking at the large red line on her arm.

"How badly are you hurt?"Sannan-san asked as he eyed Chizuru's arm.

"Oh, this little thing? It barely stings at all. Kaoru was very careful and hit me with the side of his blade. Don't worry, it's already healing," Chizuru said and pointed down at her arm. The large red welt began to fade quickly until no traces of it were left.

"But…how?"Harada asked.

"Err, I'm a quick healer?" Chizuru said, but it sounded a lot like a question. She yawned and Kaoru helped her back into the room.

"Please excuse us, it has been a long day and we need rest," Kaoru said drowsily.

"Of course," Kondo said. The twins bowed and the door closed.

"Now, what are we going to do? Recruit them… or kill them," Okita said.

"Recruit, defiantly recruit," Hijikata said firmly and Okita sighed and sheathed his sword.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 will be out shortly (if my school work doesn't get any crazier).<strong>

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys it's been awhile. I'm sorry that I haven't writen anything for a really long time but I just got a knew computer and I'm trying to figure out how to use it. Anyway, here's chapter 3. Read, review, and most importantly ENJOY! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Chizuru woke up and stretched her stiff limbs.

"Finally," Kaoru said in exasperation. Chizuru blushed and said, "I'm sorry, did you wait for me to wake up?"

"Yes, I must say your snoring hasn't improved," Kaoru said with a grin. Chizuru puffed out her cheeks and said, "I do NOT snore and you know it. Even father said…"

She stopped and her face immediately fell at the mention of their father. Kaoru sighed and sat down next to Chizuru, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We'll find him, I know we will," Kaoru said. The door slid open and Saito came in with two trays of food. The twins fell on the meal ravenously, picking off every last piece of fish from its bone. Saito turned to Chizuru and said, "Hijikata would like to speak to you."

Chizuru gulped and look at her brother. Kaoru stood firmly in front of Chizuru and said, "Why does he want to see Chizuru."

"Do not worry, Hijikata simply wants to ask a few questions," Saito said. Chizuru nodded and followed Saito out of the room. They walked down to the meeting room that they were in last night.

"Please have a seat," Hijikata said as Saito closed the door. Chizuru shifted uncomfortably the gazes of the Shinsengumi.

"How long have you been fighting," Hijikata asked.

"I don't know, since birth or something. We were trained like all people from our… family at a surprisingly young age," Chizuru said.

"Where is your mother?" Hijikata asked. Chizuru's face immediately hardened and she sat up a bit taller.

"She is dead. Our father struggled to raise both Kaoru and me since she passed away," Chizuru said in a blank voice.

"Oh, I'm very sorry about your loss," Hijikata said. Chizuru simply nodded and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Have you ever considered joining a military group?" Hijikata asked. Now that caught Chizuru off guard.

"Um, no I haven't. I'm more skilled in the medical field then at fighting," Chizuru said perplexed.

"If your healing is better than your fighting, then you must have some sort of mystic powers," Kondo said. Chizuru laughed shakily and said, "Right, or something like that."

"We were wondering if you and your brother wanted to join the Shinsengumi," Kondo said. Chizuru froze and blinked rapidly. It wasn't that she thought that it was a terrible idea, it was just that a military group who didn't know a thing about her, were asking her to join them. Didn't that seem a bit odd?

"Um, I have to think about it and discuss the matter with my brother. We like sparing… but we're not big on killing. I apologize if I'm sounding at all rude, but it is a difficult decision," Chizuru said.

"We understand, we will give you time to consider," Kondo said respectfully. Chizuru nodded, got up and politely bowed as she existed. In the distance they heard, "KAORU!"

Okita burst out laughing while Hijikata and Kondo sweat dropped. Would this really turn out for the better?

*BREAKLINE*

"So let me get this straight. You are asking us to join the Shinsengumi, a military society that protects the Bakfu, even though you don't know a single thing about us, and we don't know a thing about you?" Kaoru asked, a red tick appearing on his head. Kondo smiled merrily and nodded. Kaoru sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I think I feel a headache coming on."

"Ne, Onii-san, can I talk to you for a second?" Chizuru asked quickly. Kaoru nodded and they stared at each other without blinking. Minutes passed by and everyone felt the tension grow into the room. Suddenly, Kaoru blinked and said, "Fine, I see your point. We'll join."

"Weren't you going to talk to each other?" Heisuke asked.

"We did, in a sense," Chizuru said as she wiped some sweat from her brow. Hijikata threw a quick glance at the twins and sighed.

"We'll have uniforms made for you, but until you're ready, you can train with the others. You may eat meals with us but you are not allowed to go outside of headquarters until Kondo or I give permission," Hijikata said. The twins nodded and got up. Chizuru suddenly sneezed and shivered. Kaoru put his arm on his sister worriedly and jerked back.

"Jeez, you're freezing!" he said and wrapped his arms around his sister.

"It'll pass; I'm just not used to this weather. It's a lot colder here than in Edo," Chizuru said and sneezed again.

"I'll have some extra blankets sent to your room," Hijikata said. The twins nodded thankfully and left the room.

"Oh-ho, is our famous Oni vise captain finally cracking?" Soji asked playfully. Hijikata growled warningly and dropped several blankets into his arms.

"Since you have free time, why don't you deliver these blankets to the twin's room," Hijikata said. Heisuke and Shinpachi laughed and Hijikata rounded on them and dumped more blankets into their arms.

"You too," he said, "go… now."

The trio sighed and set off with the heavy blankets in their arms. They gently tapped on the door, but no one answered. Heisuke shrugged and opened the door quietly. The twins were sleeping next to each other, hands entwined. With their hair down, it was actually impossible to tell them apart. Gently, they laid the blankets evenly on the two teens and turned to leave. The floor board squeaked and suddenly a sword appeared at Shinpachi's throat. They turned and found a very menacing Chizuru, her eyes glowing red in the soft light.

"What are you doing in this- oh, it's you three, don't scare me like that," Chizuru said and stumbled back under the covers. Shinpachi was about to retort when Heisuke and Soji dragged him outside.

"Don't scare me? Don't scare ME?! I thought I was going to die," Shinpachi exclaimed.

"I didn't even hear or see her move, and did you see her eyes?" Heisuke asked quietly.

"Obviously there is more to these twins than we thought," Soji said as they headed back to the main room to tell their friends about the strange event.

*THE NEXT MORNING*

Chizuru woke up and gently cracked her neck when memories from the past night flew through her head. She paled and shook her brother harshly.

"What is it Chizuru, it's not even dawn?" Kaoru asked sleepily.

"I messed up, I messed up big time," Chizuru said and told her brother about the previous night. Kaoru bit his lip and tapped his foot.

"Well this could be quite a mess; we should stay and see what their reaction is. If it's good, we can stay, if it's bad… then it's time to get our swords a little bloody," Kaoru said. Chizuru nodded miserably and pulled on her clothes. They headed slowly down to breakfast and found the other members of the Shinsengumi waiting for them.

"Here, we saved you two a seat," Harada said warmly and patted two empty seats next to him. Kaoru and Chizuru slowly made their way over to the seats and stared warily at the other members.

"We have been informed about last night's events and we want to know; do you really know nothing of your father's location?" Hijikata asked. Chizuru perked up at this and shook her head.

"If we did know where he was, we wouldn't be here now would we," Kaoru said with a smirk.

"You could be spies," Saito pointed out.

"Please, if father wanted you gone and done with, you would have been dead already," Kaoru said with a dark chuckle.

"What my brother is trying to say is that we're not the only strong people out there. We have quite a few allies to call upon and if father wanted to exterminate the Shinsengumi, you would have had a least twenty other people like us come and attack," Chizuru said.

"You say people like us… what does that mean?" Hijikata asked. Chizuru and Kaoru looked at each other before Chizuru said, "Kaoru, I think that they have a right to know."

"Know what?" Heisuke asked. Chizuru smiled sheepishly, like a small child caught in a lie and said, "Well, we're not exactly human."

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><p><strong>I'll try to update this and some of my other stories as soon as possible. Thanks so much.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the major long wait. I wanted to rewrite this chapter and so I did! Chapter five is about half way done so If I'm lucky I can upload it by tomorrow.

Thanks!

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Heisuke turned pale, Soji stiffened, Hijikata starred, Koudo's jaw dropped, Harada and Shinpachi shouted, "EHHHHH?!" and Saito's eyes narrowed. Chizuru and Kaoru fidgeted under the stares of the Shinsengumi.

"Excuse me can you repeat that?" Harada said as he attempted to clear out his ear. Chizuru nodded and shouted, "WE. ARE. NOT. HUMAN."

"That's what I thought you said- what do you mean you're not human?!" Shinpachi yelled. Chizuru winced and covered her ears and Kaoru growled and said, "Let us at least finish our breakfast in peace. Then we'll explain."

The Shinsengumi nodded slowly and kept their eyes on the twins as they finished their breakfast like any other morning.

"Now then, have you heard of Oni?" Chizuru asked.

"Oni, as in demons?" Sannan-san asked.

"Yes, there are four major oni clans. To the north is the Ozumi, to the south is the Shoran, the the west is the Kazama, and to the east is our family, the Yukimaru clan. Demons don't like to get involved in human conflicted, so we spread out. Now their are only a few pure blooded Oni left on Earth because our kind mingled with your kind. Our family was murdered brutally when we refused to get involved in a war and so they were all killed. Only Kaoru and I remained and were found by Kodo, a friendly medic who took us in," Chizuru explained, "but Kaoru and I are still the strongest to the east. Our family was one of the purest lines of Oni blood out there and we inherited many skills from our ancestors."

"So you mean the further down the family tree, the more powerful the Oni?" Okita said curiously. Chizuru and Kaoru nodded and Kaoru said, "We're the 27th generation, which means that we rank second; right behind the Kazama family."

"So then why are you here?" Hijikata asked.

"Kodo raised us like our father ever since we were eight. It's wrong for us to abandon our father after all he's done for us," Chizuru said. Koudo nodded and said, "It's good that you two have pride in your family."

Kaoru smiled and said, "An Oni's pride is most important."

The twins got up in unison and told the Shinsengumi they were going to go around and find a sparing area (Chizuru was still mad about Kaoru beating her). The Shinsengumi watched them go and Okita sighed.

"We're going to follow them, aren't we," he said. Koudo smiled sheepishly and nodded.

*BREAK LINE*

"Ah, here looks pretty good," Chizuru said as she walked around a big clearing near a small pond. Her brother nodded and took out his sword.

"We never did get to use our full strength last night, why don't we have a go at it now," Kaoru said. Chizuru beamed and nodded. The Shinsengumi captains turned to look at each other in shock and amazement. So they hadn't used their full strength after all. They felt the air crackle in tension and the twins began to change. Their hair became a snowy white, their eyes glowed red, and two small horns appeared on their head. If the Shinsengumi didn't know any better, they would have said that they were rouge soldiers. Chizuru somehow looked menacing even though she smiled cheerfully.

"First one to draw blood wins," Kaoru announced.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Chizuru said and the two disappeared from sight. This fight was completely different then the previous night. They could still hear swords clanging together, but they couldn't even catch glimpses of the two as they spared. In a matter of seconds, to two returned to their starting positions, and Chizuru was the one who was smiling victoriously. Kaoru pouted and gently rubbed his calf where a small cut bled steadily. The Shinsengumi watched in horror and fascination as the wound closed in a matter of seconds.

"Hmmm, this leads us to yet another tie, how trouble some," Kaoru said with a frown. Chizuru's grin faded as a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

"Hmmm, I didn't think about that. What do you think guys?" Chizuru asked as she turned to face the bushes that the Shinsengumi were hiding in. The men looked at each other warily before Soji spoke up.

"Another tie would be a nuisance wouldn't it. So why don't you two have an official tie breaker?" Okita said.

"Sounds good to me," Chizuru said with a shrug. She stood their for a second, then she and Kaoru disappeared from sight, leaving trails of dust behind them.

"STOP!" a voice bellowed. Everyone froze, oni and shinsengumi alike. A blond haired man walked gallantly out of the shadow, glaring at the twins in mid air.

"Chizuru, Kaoru you are pure bred oni, not children. And Chizuru, you are to be my mate, why on Earth do you continue your endless fights?" the man asked.

"But Kazama," Chizuru whined and the shinsengumi froze, recalling the words Chizuru had said before. The Kazama were the most powerful oni clan to the west, and reigned over all oni.

"If you must fight then let me do it for you. A proud oni such as you shouldn't fight," Kazama said. Chizuru's eyes narrowed and seemed to glow brighter.

"Are you saying that you will ruin my pride so that your's will go unscathed?" Chizuru growled. Kazama growled back, his hair turning silver, his eyes turning red, and two small horns poking out of his hair.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Kazama growled, "Now put away your sword."

Suddenly, a murderous aura surrounded Chizuru. Kazama growled and drew his own sword. Kaoru grabbed the Shinsengumi and quickly herded them out of the clearing and back into the trees.

"Kazama's done it now," Kaoru said nervously as the air sparked with tension.

"What did he do?" Okita asked.

"I told you, didn't I? An Oni's pride is most important. If someone threatens your pride, you have no choice but to defend it, it's a natural instinct for us," Kaoru said, "and Kazama just seriously hurt Chizuru's pride."

The Shinsengumi watched in awe as a furious battle of swords and claws took place, flashing in and out of vision.

"They look serious," Hijikata observed.

"That's because they are," Kaoru said.

"But aren't they mates, even if they did insult each other's pride, why would they hurt each other?" Saito asked.

"Mates, best buddies, enemies, it doesn't matter. An oni is required to fight anyone who damages their pride," Kaoru said. Suddenly, Kazama was thrown roughly against a tree and growled.

"Don't you dare insult me again, or I will cut you down," Chizuru said, her eyes glowing. Kazama gritted his teeth, but bowed and said, "I will honor your wishes for now, woman."

Kaoru and the others came back into the clearing, glancing warily at the couple.

"So wait, you two are going to be husband and wife?" Heisuke asked.

"No, a mate is just an Oni thing. We have a big meeting on the first day of fall to decide who our mate is going to be for the year," Chizuru said.

"So wait, why only for the year?" Hijikata asked. Chizuru blushed and gently said, "Remember what I told you about the pure blood lines? How Oni descending from the purest blood lines have the most power?"

The Shinsengumi paled and Harada held up a hand.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait... your going to be a mother?!" he shouted. Chizuru nodded and said, "I've already two kids."

"Yes, and they will not stop pestering me," Kazama said.

"But your like... twelve!" Shinpachi exclaimed.

"Sixteen!" Kaoru and Chizuru shouted in unison.

"That's still way to young," Koudo said disapprovingly.

"Not to us," Kazama said, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go get our blithering children. I expect the house is going to be demolished... again."

"Tell them that I'll come visit them as soon as possible. I... I just have a few things I need to sort out before I can come home," Chizuru said. Kazama's expression almost softened, then nodded and quickly bowed with Kaoru before disappearing.

"Sooo, What are your kids like?" Heisuke asked, his eyes burning with curiosity. Chizuru smiled warmly and said, "Kazu is already three, and very brave, but very stubborn. His younger sister, Sakura just turned one and just began walking."

"She's already walking? Isn't she a bit young?" Harada asked, frowning slightly. He had come from a big family and had helped raised many of his siblings.

"She'll be a wonderful heir to the Yukimaru line," Kaoru said smugly, obviously fond of his niece. Hijikata shook his head in confusion. So much had happened in one day, it felt like his brain had been filled with a years worth of reports. Suddenly there was a rustling in a near by tree and everyone tensed. It was too loud to be a bird, and they heard feet connect with a branch. Chizuru slowly redrew her sword and-

"Mama!"... Oh no.

**Preview for chapter 5**

Chapter 5

A young, babyish girl with a tuff of white hair and red eyes climbed slowly out of the tree. Chizuru slowly sheathed her sword and gathered the baby up in her arms.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?! You could've gotten hurt or... or," Chizuru's voice choked with worry and Sakura looked at her mom, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

"Mama! Mama!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I've missed you too, but Mama is busy with important business. Remember grandpa Kodo?" Chizuru asked, bouncing Sakura lightly. Sakura nodded and clapped her hands happily, "Well, we're trying to find grandpa. So you have to stay with Daddy, 'kay?"

"Dada!" Sakura squealed and nodded eagerly, showing she understood. Kaoru straightened and said, "I'll go get Kazama."


End file.
